Brick-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. P. KINKEAD. BRIUK'MAGHINE. No. 576,271. Patented Feb. 2, 1897.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? ATTORIVEM (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. P. KINKEAD.

BRICK MACHINE.

No. 576,271. Patented Feb. 2, 1897.

Iii

Jlslllllll 11 NITE STATES i ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. KINKEAD, OF UPPER SANDUSKY, OHIO.

BRICK-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,271, dated February 2, 18997.

Application filed April 18, 1896. Serial No. 588,196. (No model.)

[0 all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN P. KINKEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Upper Sandusky, in thecounty of Wyandot and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Machines; and I do hereby. declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for the manufacture of bricks which shall be of simple and economical construction and which shall be effective in operation.

My invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the front end. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rear end; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the clutch mechanism for connecting the main operatingshaft with the power mechanism. v

1 designates the drum or shell for the reception of the clay, which shell has at its front end the press-box 1. The shell and pressboX are supported in a horizontal position upon a suitable frame.

J ournaled horizontally and longitudinally in the end piece of the shell are two shafts 2 and 2, which are geared to turn at different rates of speed. These shafts are furnished with blades adapted to pug or stir and move the clay toward the press-box. On the front of the shafts, over the press-box, the blades are of flat metal, curved so as to press the clay down into the box when they are revolved.

In the press-box there are two plungers, namely, a vertical plunger 3 and ahorizontal plunger 4, that act upon the clay simultaneously. The stem of the vertical plunger works in a groove in the front head of the drum or shell, and it is operated through a link 5 by a cam 6 on the end of the shaft ,2, said cam working against the walls of an elliptical opening in the end of a lever 5, pivoted on the front head of the drum or shell. The link 5 connects the lever 5 with the stem of the vertical plunger, and when the shaft 2 is rotated the plunger is given a reciprocating movement vertically.

The horizontal plunger has two stems 9, which extend back through bushings in the rear side of the press-box, and their protruding ends are connected by a cross-head 10.

Arranged beneath the shell or drum and parallel thereto is a main operating-shaft 7 This shaft, which is suitably journaled in the supporting-frame, has attached to it two spiral or screw cams 8 and 8, the active surfaces of which are virtually sections of a screw extending through about half a circle when viewed endwise. The earn 8 has two screw-surfaces a and b, one Within or one of less radius than the other. The inner screwsurface is also of less rapid pitch than the outer, and the two surfaces blend as they approach the higher point of the cam.

Arranged above the shaft and connected with the cross-piece of the plunger is what may be called the horizontal plunger-frame 11. The front part of this frame is connected with or forms a part of the cross-head on the stems of the plunger and the rear part is supported by a leg bolted to slide upon the shaft 7. The plunger contains friction-rollers 11', one in its front and one in its rear part, which are positioned to be acted on successively by the screw-surfaces of the cams 8 and. 8.

If desired, the upper part of the plungerframe may run against or between small friction-rollers 22, which are bolted to the bottom of the shell. These side friction-rollers will take the lateral thrust of the plunger-frame due to the action of the spiral or screw cams upon the rollers 11, and such rollers appear in practice to be necessary on one side only of the plunger-frame.

Below the cross-head of the horizontal plunger I arrange a frame 23, to which is hinged a pusher 14:. This pusher consists of a bar bent to substantially U shape, and it is provided with turnbuckles 14' or other means for adjusting it. The pusher-supporting frame is secured to slide longitudinally upon a rod 24, arranged in cross-pieces on the wooden base of the machine.

The upper part of the pusher-frame may be supported by and slide upon the main shaft 7. The front end of the pusher rests upon the table 15, arranged adjustably below the press-box, and is pushed in a forward direction by the action of the surface I) of the cam S on a friction roller 12, journaled in the pusher-frame. hen the actuating-surfaces of the cam 8 pass the friction-roller 12, the pusher is drawn back by means of a weight 011 a chain attached to the pusher-frame and passing over a "ertically-arranged :pulley- 16 on the cross-piece that supports the rear end of the rod 211.

The lower front edge of the press-box is provided with a hinged door 17, which is held yieldingly closed by spring-arms 18, which hook over pins 1.), projecting from the sides of the press-box. The strength of the engagement of these springs with the pins may be regulated nicely by varying the tension of the spring with aset-screw 20, passing through an ear 21 on the side of the press box and bearing upon the upper side of the spring. The purpose of this yielding hinged door is to permit the passage under the front edge of the press-box of any large stones or other foreign tl'iings unduly protruding from the clay in the molds. The front part of thetable is furnished with a bumper, which con sists of a series of parallel rollers with a projection from the table at each end for the purpose of shaking the bricks in the molds, so that they shall drop out easily when the mold is turned over.

Power is applied to the machine by means of a band-wheel 25, the shaft of which is mounted upon a suitable frame at the rear end of the machine. This shaft has a pinion which engages the large gear 26 on the protruding end of the shaft 2. The shaft 2 also has a pinion 26, which engages a large gear 27 on the protruding end of the shaft 2. The gear on the shaft 2 engages a loose gear 28 on rear end of the main shaft 7, and by means of a suitable clutching device this gear is e11- gaged with the said shaft 7, so that rotation of said gear will cause rotation of the said shaft. In Fig. 5 I have shown a suitable clutch for the purpose. It consists of a part 30, which is reciprocable on but not rotata; ble with the shaft. This part 30 is pivoted to one end of a lever 31, that in turn is fulcrumed on a cross-piece of the frame at the rear end of the machine. The part 30 has a sleeve or collar 32, provided with a groove swiveled to it, that is engaged by a feather on the shaft, so that the part 32 always rotates with the shaft, and said part 32 has a pin 32, that is engaged by a projection on the loose gear 28, so that when the clutch is thrown into such position that the gear engages the pin of the collar the shaft 7 is rotated.

In order that the workman at the front end of the machine may start or stop its operation at will and quickly, a long rod 33, extending to the front of the machine, is attached to the lever 31. To further facilitate the operation of the clutch, this rod may be worked by a hand-lever 34:, pivoted at the side of the table.

The cams and gearing are so arranged that the vertical and horizontal plungers shall operate simultaneously to press the clay into the press-box and the mold on the table, but I prefer that they shall be so timed that the vertical plunger shall continue to move downward when the horizontal plunger has come to a standstill. The cams are also positioned on the shaft 7 so that the mold-pusher will be pushing the mold from under the press-box while the vertical plunger is about completing its downward stroke.

It will be observed that when the cam 8 is acting on the rear friction-roller of the horizontal plunger-frame the cam 8 is acting 011 the pusher -frame, and hence much of the strain on the shaft and cams is equalized.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a brick-machine, the combination of a clay-receptacle having a press-box, said box containing a shaft 2 with blades for feeding the clay to the press-box, a plunger 3 in the press-box, a lever 5 having an elliptical opening and connected with said plunger, a cam or arm 6 on shaft 2 engaging the elliptical opening to operate said lever, a second plunger 4: in the press-box standing at angles to the plunger 3, and a shaft 7 outside the press-box having a cam to operate the plunger 4-, substantially as described.

2. In a brick-machine, the combination of a clay-receptacle having a press-box, said box containing a shaft 2 with blades for feeding the clay to the press-box, a plunger 3 in the press-box, a lever 5 having an elliptical opening and connected with said plunger, a cam or arm 6 on shaft 2 engaging the elliptical opening to operate said lever, a second plunger 4 in the press-box at angles to the plunger 3, a molding-table, a mold-pusher 14, ashaft 7 outside the press box, and a screw-cam on shaft 7 having actuating-surfaces of different pitch adapted to operate the plunger 4: and mold pusher 14, substantially as described.

3. In a brick-machine, the combination of a clay-receptacle having a pressboX, said box containing a shaft 2 with blades for feeding the clay to the press-box, a plunger 3 in the press-box, a lever 5 having an elliptical opening and connected with said plunger, and a cam or arm 6 on said shaft engaging the elliptical opening to operate lever 5, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a clay-receptacle having a press-box, a horizontal plunger in said box, a molding-table, a pusher, and a shaft 7 provided with a screw-cam having actuating-surfaces of different pitch adapted to actuate the plunger and pusher, substan tially as described.

5. In a brick-machine, a clay-receptacle and press-box, a horizontal plunger in said IO box, a moldingtable, a mold-pusher, and a shaft having a screw-cam 8 having spiral or screw surfaces of difierent pitch for actuating the plunger and pusher.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

J OI-Il\ P. KINKEAD.

\Vitnesses:

L. P. MCCULLOUGH, GEO. M. FINCKEL. 

